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Abstract
Objectives: This study assesses the effectiveness of a GOSCE in teaching medical students clinical communication, as well as group collaboration and peer feedback.
Methods: The GOSCE was administered during the Internal Medicine clerkship. Groups consisted of 4–6 students and one faculty member. Students completed pre- and post-GOSCE surveys to assess confidence in clinical communication and a GOSCE evaluation to rate the overall experience. Pre- and post-GOSCE program survey scores were compared, and the mean score and standard deviation of the GOSCE evaluation was calculated.
Results: Students perceived improvement in their general (Mean 4.49–4.57, p < .0001), case-specific (3.61–3.84, p < .0001) and group clinical communication (3.75–4.09, p < .0001) skills. Students agreed or strongly agreed that the GOSCE taught them something new (91.20%), made them more comfortable in giving (64.31%) and receiving (66.57%) feedback and working with a group (64.22%). Students found the GOSCE to be as effective as an OSCE (70.97%).
Conclusions: A GOSCE is a valuable resource for use in formative assessment of clinical communication, and it offers the benefit of group collaboration and peer feedback. These findings support the broader use of GOSCEs in undergraduate medical education.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Dr. Sharon Parish and Dr. Rosa Lee who assisted in the creation of the cases for the GOSCE and were instrumental in its implementation at our institution. The authors also wish to thank Harriet Ludwig, MS for her assistance with data entry and analysis. Finally, this article is dedicated to the memory Dr. Sharon Silbiger whose mentorship inspired the project.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Glossary
Group Objective Structured Clinical Examination (GOSCE): A modification of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) format where a group of trainees is involved at each station.
Notes on contributors
Dr. Ludwig, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Assistant Dean for Students.
Dr. Raff, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Associate Chair of Medicine for Undergraduate Medical Education.
Dr. Lin, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health, Division of Biostatistics.
Dr. Ellie Schoenbaum, MD, Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health and Medicine. She is Director of Medical Student Research.